Other Approaches to Troubleshooting Hardware Problems

If your hardware components are listed on the HCL, and you are still having problems, check that the physical connections are secure.

If you are using a SCSI device, check its termination. Even if you are sure the termination is correct, and you are having problems that could be due to incorrect termination, open the computer case and check again. Whenever possible use active rather than passive terminators.

Note

Terminators are used to provide the correct impedance at the end of a cable. If the impedance is too high or too low, internal signal reflections can take place. These echoes represent noise on the cable and can corrupt subsequent signals, which can result in degraded performance or data loss.

Passive terminators are resistors with the appropriate resistance value for the characteristic impedance of the cable. Active terminators are slightly more sophisticated electronics that are able to better maintain the correct impedance necessary to eliminate signal reflection.

Verify that the SCSI cables are not longer than they need to be. If a two-foot cable is long enough to connect the device to the controller, do not use a three-foot cable. The acceptable lengths vary depending on such factors as whether you are using basic SCSI, SCSI-2, wide SCSI, ultra-wide SCSI, or differential SCSI; the quality of the termination; and the quality of the devices being used. Consult your hardware documentation for this information.

Check your hardware configuration. I/O and interrupt conflicts that went unnoticed with another operating system must be resolved when you switch to Windows 2000. Likewise, you must pay close attention to CMOS and Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) configuration parameters when using Windows 2000.

The Knowledge Base is a good source of information for hardware problems. There are several articles about memory problems, memory parity errors, SCSI problems, and other hardware information in the Knowledge Base.

If your computer crashes randomly and inconsistently, you might have memory problems. You can use the /maxmem switch in the Boot.ini file to troubleshoot memory problems. For more information about the /maxmem switch, see "Startup Process" in this book.

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